ALAN PARDEW admits he is hoping to add Andy Carroll to his Europa League-bound Magpies – but says that the process is now very much in the hands of United owner Mike Ashley and the Liverpool board.

Pardew has made it clear to his own board that he would welcome the return of the big Geordie striker, now it appears to be down to whether the American-owned Kop club are prepared to cut their losses and move on.

And, after an initial offer to take Carroll on loan was turned down, United seem prepared to go back in again for the player they sold for £35m in January 2011.

Liverpool are trying to prevent themselves taking a major hit, but Newcastle’s only offer so far is thought to be around the £13m mark.

Carroll was not part of the Liverpool squad that headed to North America yesterday afternoon as he still has an arranged week off after his Euro 2012 commitments.

And it remains to be seen if he will join up with his team-mates.

Pardew – who has already seen a move for Luuk de Jong of FC Twente fall through this summer – told the Chronicle: “That whole process is a little bit more involved with the chairman and the board at Liverpool.

“We’ve got a great team here, a great squad, and if Andy Carroll comes it’ll only add to us.”

Ashley is thought to be keen on bringing Carroll back and United fans have already been discussing just what a great coup it would be if he was reintroduced to the squad at less than half-price.

As revealed in the Chronicle yesterday, Carroll has made it clear he doesn’t want to kick his heels at Anfield, where he isn’t wanted by new Kop boss Brendan Rodgers.

And his first choice would be a move back to Tyneside.

Pardew – who guided his side to a 1-0 win over Claudio Ranieri’s Monaco in a pre-season friendly in Germany last night – went on: “It’s simple, really. Sometimes transfers are done at corporate level.

“I’m slightly detached from that. It’ll be what it’ll be.”

But the LMA and Premier League manager of the year knows that the key to any deal is money – for both an eventual transfer fee and the player’s wages, which may have to be supplemented by the Merseysiders.

He went on: “It’s been said that he’s available, and if we’re involved then we’ll be involved because of the figures, not anything else, because we know he’s good enough. I’m slightly detached from it.”